


Almost

by agoodwoman



Series: The First Time [2]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 15:44:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6913243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agoodwoman/pseuds/agoodwoman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during Season 2, Post Our Town Episode Fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It didn’t take much for him to feel the surge of attraction toward her but that’s not who they were as partners. Not that he wouldn’t go there with her but he had been burned in the past and she was the only person he seemed to like these days. His fear was she wouldn’t like him much afterwards. That happened to him too often.

They were assigned to one another in a forced pairing that no one expected to result in such success. They learned to trust one another and they became allies. Then they became friends.

He thought at first the innuendo might throw her off but it didn’t seem to bother her. Sometimes she laughed, sometimes she blushed and when he was lucky, she threw one back his way. Those were moments in their partnership he felt delighted for.

Yet they were rarely forced to share a small space like sleeping quarters. The FBI prohibited opposite-sex partners from sharing motel rooms or consorting during off hours while on assignment. Mulder and Scully had broken those rules pretty early on but they were not forced to share a bed until after her abduction and they found themselves trapped in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Mulder had just saved her from cannibalistic chicken farmers with voodoo masks, her wrists were sore and there was a tape residue on her cheek she couldn’t seem to get rid of.

Scully hung the payphone back on the hook and looked at Mulder as he checked them into the airport hotel. He was glancing back at her as he attempted to flirt with the desk clerk to get them moved to a room with two beds while she called into Skinner’s office to let him know they were delayed overnight.

Mulder crossed the lobby and handed Scully her room key.

“Did they fix our room?” she asked hopefully. “Not that I’m not looking forward to sharing-”

“No,” he interrupted. “They’re overbooked and we’re a last minute check in.”

"Great." Scully took the key. “What room are we in?”

Mulder picked up their bags. “Four oh three.”

“Lead the way G-man,” Scully gestured and followed him to the elevator banks.

The room wasn’t the worst one by any means but not five star. It was nicer than most of the places they stayed in but it was still an airport motel. Over-bleached sheets with too much starch and the carpet saw a lot of high traffic. The smell of food lingered in the hallways from leftover room service plates that had just been picked up.

Mulder thought it was good the room didn’t smell like smoke at least.

“So,” he said as he put their bags on the chairs by the window.

“No couch,” she noted. “No cots?”

“Nothing,” he confirmed. The floor didn’t look clean enough to sleep on either. “Look, I’m feeling pretty ripe. Do you mind?”

“I’ll go after you,” she said with a shake of her head. “I could see if they’re still serving dinner?”

“ _Yes,_ ” he sighed in relief. “Get me whatever.”

The only food they served after eight thirty was off the appetizer menu but when Mulder emerged from his low pressure shower, he didn’t care. She told him what was coming and she closed the bathroom door to wash the sweat from their day of traveling off her body.

Ten minutes later they were sitting in their pajamas with nachos, chicken wings, a veggie plate (obviously for Scully) and two caesar salads. Scully ordered them both iced tea and they clinked their glasses in a celebratory manner.

“What are we cheersing to?” Scully asked and took a sip.

“To you not falling victim to voo doo chicken farmer cannibals?” Mulder guessed and she nodded once.

She was adorable like this. Freshly showered and smelling of her special lavender soap that she used at night. He only knew about this soap being different from her morning soap because sometimes he had to wake her up in the middle of the night. The day time perfume and soap was fresh and feminine while nighttime was soothing and sweeter.

He shoved a loaded nacho into his mouth and tried to think of baseball and chickens eating chickens. Anything but Scully’s smell.

“I got you salad too,” Scully said pushing a small bowl toward him.

“Thanks,” he said through a mouthful of corn chip and guacamole. Yes, Mulder be as least attractive as possible because that changes how you see her.

The bbq wings were messy so of course when she got the brownish red sauce on her cheek he took his thumb to wipe at it. And imagine her surprise when he licked his digit afterwards.

“Sorry,” he said with a shake of his head.

Scully touched the back of her hand to where he had wiped and he smiled.

“I got it all.” he assured her and picked up a wing to take a generous bite. “Not like the ribs in Delta Glen.”

Scully shook her head. “These aren’t bad.”

“After our case I’m surprised you’d eat chicken again so soon,” Mulder noted as she licked the sauce from her fingers.

 _Don’t do that, Scully_.

She must have seen something in his eyes because she picked up her napkin and wiped at her face and hands. "This is from out of state and probably not very fresh. I asked to make sure none of the chicken came from Chaco Chicken.”

She slowly licked the remaining sauce of her lips.

"Yum," he joked as crossed his leg and shifted in his seat. He felt the familiar surge toward her, except he could handle this kind of desire as she slept in another room, unknowing to the dirty disgusting things his mind was playing out. The lap dance as she pulled off her pale suit to reveal garters and maybe a brighter shade of lipstick.

 _Don’t think about that either_ , he reminded himself.

He wasn’t some incurable pervert who couldn’t control his body. He was an Oxford educated psychologist and she was just another woman. But that was his problem. He was attracted to who she was and the body that she tried to hide with her shoulder pads and professional suits.

It made it worse when he realized he was just more than a little in love with her. So what was the solution? Not tell her obviously. Once he did the ante-midas hand of his cursed existence would destroy something else in her and he couldn’t take that.

“Mulder?” she prompted from across the table.

He clear his throat and tried to picture Willie Mays last game. _Baseball. Baseball. Baseball. Just bats, balls and other guys. Maybe take Scully to play baseball. Nope, Mulder, don’t._

“Mulder?” Scully prompted again and his eyes fixated on her face. “Are you going to be okay?”

 _Shit, she knows, she knows, she knows_ , his mind screamed. _Don’t order finger food and sit cross legged at a dinner table like you’re some adorable thing while eating chicken fingers in your button up but somewhat cleavage revealing pajamas. And for god sake's, where is your bra? Doesn't she get it? I'm a human man. I have eyes!_

“You look a little pale but your cheeks are flushed,” Scully noted and she reached across to feel his forehead. “You’re warm.”

Scully got up from the table and looked in at his face but then her eye must have caught it. Mulder tried to cover himself before she saw but how could you miss it? It was tenting in his sweatpants and pointing right at her.

 _Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck_ , his mind groaned.

“ _Oh_ ,” she looked down at their food, out the window and anywhere else but his secret was revealed. He was hard and there wasn’t anything around them to explain it otherwise besides her. “Sorry.”

“Same here,” he said as he ran a hand down his face.

She returned to her seat but her back was a little straighter and she left her feet on the floor.

“Just like that?” she asked after a beat.

"Yeah," he managed. Mulder’s cheeks must have been bright red. “Just like that.”

“Um….” she looked out the window and then back to him. “That’s advantageous.”

Her eyes were bright and he thought if there was ever a time to sweep a table and nail her to it with his body this would be it.

“For whoever you are with,” she muttered.

“I’m with you,” he said and winced at the admission. “I mean…”

Scully shook her head. “I know what you meant.”

 _She really didn’t_ , he thought.

It would be the longest night of Mulder’s life and that was including the night he spent locked up next to Max Fenig, the night in the hospital after he was shot in the leg, and the evening in Puerto Rico with mosquitoes sent by Satan.


	2. Chapter 2

Mulder stood behind Scully while they brushed their teeth at the bathroom sink and they attempted to ignore their earlier exchange, his sudden erection and her staring at it for longer than necessary.

His personal discomfort was made worse when they _talked_ about it. Not because he wouldn’t love to discuss his erections with Scully but he would rather seem more interested and more naked at the time.

If aliens wanted to abduct him, they could have chosen that very moment to do so.

_Another let down for Fox Mulder._

After they finished their food in silence he put the room service tray in the hallway and they agreed getting some sleep would be a good idea. On any other night he might try to hide from her by physically going for a run or heading down to the hotel bar to watch TV until he knew Scully was asleep or just anything to put some distance between them to avoid the intimate act of sharing a bed.

Neither of these options occurred to him when she suggested they go to bed since they had an early flight the next morning. He looked at Scully in her pj’s and freshly washed face as she tried to maintain eye contact and he agreed bed would be a great idea.

He didn’t say sleep, he said bed. Her cheeks turned a little pink after he uttered that three letter word and he tried to stop envisioning his hands peeling off her button up night shirt that had capped sleeves and curved edging to make them more feminine.

Scully spit into the sink and rinsed her mouth. As she put her toothbrush in the cup she glanced up at Mulder who was watching her in the mirror.

“Skinner was okay with the delay on getting back,” Scully said quietly as she wiped the edges of her mouth.

Mulder spit into the sink. “How did you get a hold of him?”

Scully used the washcloth to wipe away the toothpaste on the side of his mouth and smiled shyly. “I have his home number.”

She left him in the bathroom to contemplate that notion with his hand touching where she had just wiped away.

“You _what_?” he asked as he moved to the opposite side of the bed from her to pull back the sheets.

She ignored his question and Mulder was left to wonder why she had his home number for longer than necessary.

They didn’t discuss him sleeping on the top of the covers, she didn’t suggest anyone sleep on the floor and no one mentioned asking for extra blankets or pillows to create a barrier in the bed.

 _They were just going to sleep so what was the worst that could happen_?  _It’s not like their sleeping selves would end up groping one another or dry humping without their knowledge. Mulder knew the feel of a breast in his hand when he had it..._

 _Stop thinking about that,_ his mind screamed and Mulder sat down on the bed with his back to her.

Scully climbed in on her side and turned off her bedside light. He could hear her shifting in the bed as he turned out his light and filling the room with darkness. He laid down also, with his back to her and wearing more clothing than he was used to.

Mulder shifted in the bed a few times and cleared his throat.

“I’ve never heard you use that tone when talking about me calling Skinner,” Scully admitted.

Mulder turned over onto his back and could make her face just barely in the darkness. “You’ve never _heard_ that tone?”

“No, Mulder, I’ve never _heard_ that tone,” Scully repeated with the same emphasis on 'heard' and he could tell she was holding back a laugh.

She mimicked his tone as he was speaking to her and now the banter was afoot. They were bantering in bed and Mulder had to curse a higher power for making it so easy to flirt with her while laying in a queen sized bed inches away.

“What _tone_ was a I using?” he asked.

He was feeling incredulous she was laughing at him but that was better than assuming he was some kind of pervert who couldn’t be trusted to share a bed with her.

Scully laughed and he felt himself starting to bubble up but he was trying to remain indignant. “Jealousy maybe?”

“You never _heard_ me act jealous?” he was putting her on now just to make her laugh and she pushed on his arm. “What are you doing?”

Scully giggled as she pushed on his body with both hands but all it was doing was pushing her away from him.

“Are you trying to push me out of the bed?” he asked and she laughed harder. “Scully! You’re stealing all the covers!”

Mulder grabbed her wrists and pushed them into the mattress as he tried to grab some of the sheets back from her but she had them firmly between her legs.

“Give me-” Mulder grunted as he moved his upper body to pin hers and he wrested his free arm to her legs to get the sheets. “Give me the fucking sheets!”

Scully laughed as his fingers brushed at her knee but her grip remained firm. “No!”

His hand pushed on her knee and he used his knees to spread her legs apart while his had let go of her wrists to pull the sheets from between them and over to his side of the bed.

Scully’s cool fingers reached between them and she poked at his side where she knew he was ticklish.

“Ah fuck!” he cried as he fell on top of her and then the reality of what they had been doing hit them like a ten tonne truck.

They were panting from wrestling with one another and his face was inches above hers. If this was another moment to lean down and kiss her this could be it too.

Scully shifted a little and what was once soft and unaware of her presence underneath him was now hardening between them.

“Just like that?” she asked breathlessly. “Your blood vessels-”

 _Fuck it,_ he thought and pressed his mouth to hers and cutting off the scientific explanation Scully was trying to reason with him crowing hard while wrestling with her on a bed at eleven o’clock at night.

Her hands went into his hair to hold his face to hers and her tongue slipped between his lips. Just as he had always imagined, she was as good at kissing as she was at everything else. She was fantastic at it and her hips pushed up into his in tandem with her fingers scratching at his scalp.

It was a sensual overload and he wondered if she was getting caught up in the moment or she really wanted him. He hoped it was the latter. He wanted to be wanted back for far too long and she was the one person who never looked at him like he was out to disappoint her.

Mulder had to break the kiss for the sake of needing air in his lungs but his mouth needed to keep tasting her. He kissed her collarbones and neck while she moaned at the feeling of his stubble against her soft skin. God she tasted good. Better than good. She tasted like Scully.

“Mulder,” she whispered as his hand moved up her abdomen and to her breast. “Mulder, wait.”

He stopped kissing her neck and tried to find her eyes in the darkness. “Sorry.”

“No… we, um…” Scully shifted again underneath him and he felt the signals she was sending him were very mixed. “I can’t.”

“You can’t?” he repeated.

“I can’t… um…. right now,” she said quietly. “I just… _can’t_.”

Mulder wasn’t quite catching on. “You mean like you can’t as in you can’t physically because your not able to or you can’t because you have your-”

“Yes,” she interrupted. “I got it in Dudley.”

 _Oh_. He tried to think of the actual date to make a mental note but all he could think about was her body under his and how much he wanted to taste it.

“I don’t care,” he said quickly and he really didn’t.

“I do,” she said regretfully. “Not for a first time.”

Mulder breathed into her shoulder with a frustrated sigh and she clucked her tongue at him.

“I know.”

“Okay…” he breathed. “Okay… so you would otherwise?”

Scully kissed his cheek. “I really  _would_.”

Mulder kissed her again and they started their slow rhythm of a pushing against one another and mimicking a naked act they both just admitted to wanting. Eventually they would need to sleep and he couldn’t remain on top of her, kissing her and reenacting his first night with Marci Perkins as they parked his dad’s car on the Vineyard and she let him get to second base.

Scully at second base was better than Marci in any scenario. Guys talk about wanting to get with a girl their first time but none of them ever talk about how amazing it is when you’re actually in love with someone.

That stopped Mulder short and he pushed himself off of her and sat back on his legs next to the crumpled bed sheets.

“What?” she asked as she sat up. “Did I do-”

“No Scully,” he stopped her. “You’re perfect. I’m just… I think if you can’t we should stop.”

He could see her trying to make out what he was inferring but her mind wasn’t going to make that connection. A to B to C to D. Scully liked those connections. Mulder was A to F to Q to G and in no way could he explain that he didn’t want to keep making out with her because he just suddenly realized he was actually in love with her.

He thought he was when she went missing and he nearly killed men to find her. But part of him thought it was out of loyalty and friendship. But with his dick surging to be inside of her and his heart aching to keep her safe his emotional light bulb was burning so brightly he thought it might crack.

“Oh,” she said and he could hear the confusion in her voice.

Through the darkness his hand found hers. “When you’re comfortable we can-”

“ _Oh_ ,” she repeated. “Okay.”

He kissed her softly and pulled the sheets back up to their shoulders.

“You’re going to be okay over there?” Scully asked referring to the tenting under the sheets.

Mulder found her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be fine.”

Scully laughed. “You sound fine.”


End file.
